Grads overcome many obstacles

By OLIVIA RUIZ / Vida En El Valle

(Published Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 08:46AM)

MODESTO -- If you ask Hugo Sánchez how he sees himself in 10 years, his answer is simple: "Maybe still in school studying to get my doctorate or probably working and having fun."

Sánchez, 18, recently graduated from Johansen High School and will be attending UC Merced in the fall. He knows he wants to major in science because he would like to design cars one day.

The only child of Hugo and Zenaida Sánchez, who are originally from Zacatecas, México, graduated with honors and was one of seven students who received an Academic Merit Scholarship to fulfill his studies at UC Merced. Those seven students were selected among 12,000 students statewide.

Not bad for a young man who didn't care for school in his early years.

"When I was younger I did not care about getting an education but I wouldn't have been in the classes I was in if it weren't for my parents," said Sánchez, who thanks his parents for ensuring he succeeded in school. "I would have been behind if it was not for them."

Today, his mind is set on making it to UC Merced in the fall and valuing a higher education.

"Education is very important because I will be able to live a better life like Dr. Quiñones," he said referring to Dr. Alfredo Quiñones, one of the 10 best neurosurgeons in the U.S. "But you have to have a good time with your friends."

His mother Zenaida Sánchez, who once worked for Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) -- which stresses the value of parents being involved in their children's education -- saw first-hand the results of her involvement.

"PIQE was definitely a tool that helped me a lot with Hugo's education," said Sánchez, who now works for the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California.

And what's this bright young man's ultimate goal in life?

"To support myself and my family and, at the same time, live a simple but happy life."

PATTERSON -- Sofía Díaz, 17, was forced to transfer from a regular school to Patterson's continuation school Del Puerto High School because she was lacking credits to graduate.

It was then Díaz focused on making the best out of an education and managed to graduate on May 29 with a group of 72 students. Her next educational step is attending Meric College to get a degree as a Medical Assistant.

But high school was not as easy for Díaz as it would have been for any of her classmates or any other teenage girls her age.

Díaz married José González, 20, at a very early age and got pregnant her senior year. Today, their daughter Arely González, is 5 months old.

"Getting up in the morning was very difficult," remembers Díaz of her pregnancy, going to school, and being a housewife.

But that did not stop her; she kept herself motivated, said her cousin Karely García.

"Sofía is dedicated and has a goal, which she will achieve. She has a great personality and is very outgoing so I know she will succeed at anything she sets her mind to," García said.

When the baby was born, Díaz's mother María, originally from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, helped out and supported her 100 percent.

Díaz's older sister Ana, 20, also lent her a hand once the baby was born. "She became more mature. All she wants to do is be with her baby and her man, so no time for playing around," said the oldest sister. "I'm happy for her because she went through a lot and she made it."

Del Puerto High Principal Alberto L. Velarde agrees.

"She went through some hard times but we're glad she stayed with us and graduated," Velarde said.

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oruiz@vidaenelvalle.com

By JENNIE RODRÍGUEZ

Vida en el Valle

For many migrant parents who came to this country in search of a better life, education is key to catapulting their children towards that better life.

Luis Ruiz, 17, made his parents proud the day he graduated from Edison High School with a 4.03 grade point average. Luis, a 6-foot-3, lanky teen with a brain to match his size, will head to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in September. Luis will major in computer engineering.

"I did some research and found that computer engineers are the most needed at this time," Luis said. That was good news for Luis, because science and technology fall under his interests.

While at Edison, Luis was very active in the community, including having served as Edison's Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) treasurer.

Although the thought of moving away and living on financial aid scares Luis, a few things keep him motivated. One is his family.

Luis wants to, someday, financially help his family, who depends on the income of his father and sister. Luis' father, Santiago Ruiz, was recently laid off from a roofing job and is supporting his family with unemployment benefits. Luis' sister works a part-time job.

"I hope that when he finishes his studies it will be easier for him to find a job," said Santiago, a native from Michoacán, México. "I feel very proud he is contining his studies."

Luis will be the first in his family to go to college.

Edith Canales, a 17-year-old Linden High School graduate, will also continue her education after high school. She has been admitted into UC Davis' biochemistry program.

"I just like science," said Edith, who has taken numerous Advanced Placement classes at Linden High.

Edith was raised in a small community, nestled amid fruit orchards, owned by the fruit processing company that employs her father. Edith dreams of city life. The active teenager, who has participated in the Future Farmers of America and served as vice president of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), is eager to take on Sacramento.

"I'm excited, because I want to move away from the small town mentality," she said.

Edith will be the first in her family to attend a university. Her mother graduated from San Joaquin Delta College.

"There's nothing more important that education," said her brother Eber Canales, 19. "I'm proud that she got into a great university."

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jrodriguez@recordnet.com

By MARTÍN E. MARTÍNEZ

Vida en el Valle

DAVIS -- What seemed a dream almost impossible for Jaime Garibay finally came true after two years of fighting.

Garibay was among the 530 students who graduated two weeks ago from Davis High School and he did it with high grades despite times when he thought that he was not going to be able to complete his education, basically because of family pressures.

Wearing the traditional graduation attire and surrounded by family hours before the ceremony, Garibay said that this achievement was almost a miracle, "because several times I thought of abandoning my studies and to get a job, like many other students.

"I am an example that when you have a purpose this can be achieved despite all the people who tell you the opposite," said Garibay, 18 who was born in Woodland to parents from the Mexican state of Michoacán.

But what motivated Garibay to stay in school was that thought "if I am able to complete high school then later I could get a better job."

"Unfortunately many young Latinos drop out of high school or don't even try to get (a diploma) because they believe that they will not be able to study, but the truth is that yes we can and if we can do it, when we finish it we can get a better job and, of course, a better salary. All this is possible if you fight for it," said Garibay.

Garibay faced other obstacles.

His parents did not have enough education, and were unable to help him with his homework. That, he believes, accounted for low grades in math and English and almost led to him dropping out.

But pretty soon he realized that everything was a matter of being more attentive in class. The next semester, his grades improved considerably.

"It's very difficult when you don't have the support of your parents to do your homework and things, but then you realize that you have to do an extra effort; I did it and soon I improved my grades even with subjects that were very hard for me like math," said Garibay, who graduated with a 3.3 GPA.

Another obstacle for Garibay was the fact that several teachers treated him a differently because he is Latino and they were not too confident about his abilities to finish the courses.

"Unfortunately, some teachers think that if you are Latino you don't have the ability to study, to graduate; some of them treated me differently than other students and I never felt their support. That's why I said that I could not allow them to make me feel less and I proved to them that I was capable and I graduated despite its negative comments," he said.

For Guadalupe Garibay, seeing her son graduate is a source of pride because she always believed that the fate of their sons was in the field works.

"I was not very sure that my child would graduate because there were many things against him. He was able to manage all the bad situations and he could overcome all these obstacles. Now I can see that he is ready to go to the college, and it is something really amazing for me and his father. It is a dream come true," said Garibay, who has worked many years in the field and now is dedicated to do housekeeping.

What pleases her most is that her son will not follow the same fate of his parents and he showed that he can succeed.

"We do not have the financial resources to send him to the university, but we know that he wants to do that. We agreed to the sacrifice."

She is proud that her son will go to River City College to study fire technology.

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mmartinez@vidaenelvalle.com

By MARTÍN E. MARTÍNEZ

Vida en el Valle

SACRAMENTO -- Betzaida López had nearly perfect grades at McClatchy High School and was ready for college.

She got accepted by the University of California-Davis, but money was an issue and instead she will attend Sacramento City College on a MEChA scholarship, loans and government grants.

"I feel ready to study a career. I know that I can do it because there are plenty of opportunities out there to continue my education," said López, who wants to be a civil engineer.

With a 3.9 GPA and two "Student of the Year" designations, López was among the top students at McClatchy High and one of a handful of Latinos in the class of 2008.

Her academic success didn't come easy. While other students could rely on their parents' help for homework and such, López's folks could only offer encouragement. They are immigrants from Hidalgo, Mexico, with limited formal education.

"I realized that the most successful students in my class had their parents' help with homework and other things, so they got good grades," López said, adding she had to come up with alternatives.

She studied hard on her own and she asked her parents to take her to the library or to get after-school tutoring. In that, her parents never faltered and always offered the support they could, she said. When she stayed at home studying after midnight, her mother was always at her side.

"I really appreciate that support because it helped me a lot," she said.

López also sought the help of her teachers, something she said other students rarely did.

María Barranco, her mother, said her daughter is driven to success.

"I am confident she'll be able to go to college because she always succeeds in everything she tries," Barranco said. "She has been successful since she was a child, which makes me very proud of her."

Barranco, who works as a housekeeper and babysitter, said she and her husband, Félix Pérez, will do whatever they can to make sure their daughter has enough money for college.

"Right now we don't have the money to send our daughter to college, but we'll work hard and sacrifice and we know that someday she'll fulfill her dream" of earning a college degree, said Barranco, who also has three sons.

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mmartinez@vidaenelvalle.com